Tape cutter



File y 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gm Danica Car/G. K rohmi/leh lf atented ltlov. 15 192?.

cant G. KRONIEILIJER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BATES VALVE BAG COlVI- EANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

TAPE CUTTER.

Application filed May 3:19.26. Serial No. 106,381. f

This invention relates to a cutter, and particularly to a cutter adapted to cut a tape between bags or a similar series of articles to which the tape has been attached. The

a construction and details of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view illustrat in ing the. relation of the cutter to the tape and bags during the cutting operation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the cutter proper; Fig.3 is an end view of the cutter; Fig. 1 is a front view of the cutter; Fig. 5'is a section of the cutter on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail of the drive mechanism on the line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail of the cutter blades on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

In Fig. 1 there are shown bags 10 to which a tape 11' is sewed by means of a needle 12. The bags are shown spaced apart at 13. The cutter is intended to cut the tape ateach space 13 as a series of bags with tape attached thereto is fed through the mecha nlsm.

A bracket 1 1 attached to any suitable por- 'tion of the frame of the apparatus carries a bearing for a steni 15 of a U-shaped frame 16. A drive shaft 17 is mounted in the frame 16 and may be driven by a pulley 18, or any suitable means. Drive shaft 17 carries an eccentric 19.

A cutter shaft 20 is mounted in the front end of the U-frame parallel with shaft 17.

Shaft 20 carries a ratchet wheel 21, rotation of the shaft with the wheel being insured by a key 22. The ratchet is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 23 pivoted to a lug 24 on a sleeve 25, which is oscillatable about shaft 20. A drive arm 26 on sleeve is connected by link 27 to eccentric 19, and by this means the sleeve and pawl are oscillated about the axis of shaft 20. v

A stationary cutter disc 28 is mounted loosely on the end of shaft 20 between the arms of U-frame 16. There are holes 29 in cutter disc 28 adapted to receive pins. 30 whichare fixed in position in one of the arms of frame 16.

A star cutter wheel 31 is mounted on shaft 20 in position to cooperate with cutter disc 28. Cutter 31 has holes 32 adapted to slip over pins 33 mounted in a flange 34 on shaft 20.

Shaft 20 is mounted in a bearing 35 in one arm of the U-shaped frame, that at the left rounds shaft 20 in bearing36, and extends through sleeve 25. Sleeve 25 is fastened to sleeve 37 by means of a set-screw 38. sleeve 37 is pressed tightly into bearing 36, or otherwise secured therein, screw 38 may be omitted.

A bracket 39 is fastened by screws Oto the underside of the U-frame and has a forked end-41 which embraces shaft 20 and holds ratchet wheel 21 in place against the end of slee'lres 25 and 37. Elongated key-way 42 in shaft 20 allows the shaft to move longitudinally with respect to ratchet wheel 21 and key 22.

A cap 43 is screwed upon the outer end of sleeve 37. Cap 43. has a central opening 44 therethrough, which opening is countersunk at 45. A pin 46 passes through this hole, the head 47 of the pin working in the countersink. On the other end of the pin there is a hardened wear block 48 adapted to contact a ball 48 in the end of the shaft 20. A spring 19 normzilly presses wear block 48 against the end of shaft 20 and thus holds flange 34 against the star cutter 31, which, in turn, presses against stationary cutter 28.

From the upper side of frame 16, adjacent the cutter wheels, there arises a bracket 50 provided with a. bearing 51 for a shaft 52. Shaft 52 is provided with a block 53, which is adjustably fastened to the shaft. A crank-' shaped trip-carrying rod 54.- is adjustably fixed in block 53. Rod 54 carries a trip plate 55 bevelled on its underside, as at 56, where it meets the oncoming bags, and having a notch 57 in its rear edge.

Block 58, similar to block 53,is adjust ably fixed onshaft 52 and carries a rod 59 from the end of which there projects a leaf spring 60. Beneath the spring 60 there is a downwardly curved pusher 61. The end of spring 60 is connected to pawl 23 by means of a link 62. Gravity alone may be depended upon to engage pawl 23.

with ratchet wheel 21, but preferably a torsion spring 63 is employed for this purpose.

The operation of the. device is substantially as follows. It will be readily understood that, when drive shaft 17 is rotated, sleeve parts are so 25 is oscillated by means of eccentric 19 and link 27. This oscillates pawl 23 about the axis of shaft 20. When the pawl moves to the left, as viewed in Fig. 6, it engages teeth on ratchet wheel 21 and thereby forces the ihaft and star wheelcutter to move. The

roportioned that each revolution of the s aft 17 causes the star wheel cutter to move the distance of one tooth or arm. In the structure shown, the star wheel cutter has eight arms, and, therefore, the parts are proportioned to givethe'cutter oneeighth of a turn-at each revolution of shaft 17. 'It will be "readily seen that this oneeighth revolution will cause the arm of the star .wheel cutter to move downward past the knife edge164 of cuttin disc 28 and shear off any tape lying in note 65 of disc 28.

Trip plate is so mounted and adjusted that, when it rides on a bag 10, it oscillates shaft 52 and elevates pusher 61 so as to raise the outer end of spring 60, and, through link 62, raises pawl 23 out of engagement with ratchet wheel 21.

' When the trip plate drops into a space 13 between adjacent bags 10, shaft 52 is oscillated so as to no longer raise pawl 23, and, upon the next reciprocation of the pawl, the star wheel cutter is moved through oneeighth of a revolution and cuts the tape andthe seam in notch 65. If the bags are fairly close together, the trip plate rides up on the next bag and raises spring before the cutting is completed. However, the parts are soproportioned that spring 60 does not apply sufficient force to lift pawl 23 out of engagement with ratchet wheel 21 as long as the pawl is shoving against the tooth of the ratchet wheel; but, when the pawl starts back and is disengaged from the tooth of the ratchet wheel, spring .60 raises it sufiiciently so that it will not again engage the ratchet wheel until the trip plate once more drops. It will be readily understood that, if there is considerable space between successive bags, the trip plate may not be raised during two or more strokes of the pawl, and the cutter will be rotated and continue to-cut off successive lengths of the tape until the next bag is reached. In this way the cutter automati'cally cuts off the tape as soon as a bag has passed from under the trip, and continues to cut the tape until the trip is raised by another bag. Therefore, the tape will be cut off adjacent the edges of each bag regardless of the length of the space between successive he s.

When the cutter plates become dull, they are removed in the following manner. Cap 43 is unscrewed sufficiently' so that shaft 20 m", be shoved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5, enough to withdraw the end of the shaft from cutter.28, and thereupon cutter 28 may be pulled off of pins 30 and removed from the apparatus, for resharpening. Another cutter plate 28 may he slipped into position, if it is desired to use the machine without waiting to sharpen the dull cutter. Similarly, cutter 31'may be pulled off of pins 33- and slipped off of the end of shaft 20, when the shaft is in its farthest position to the right. In this way it will be seen that the cutters are held firmly in position and pressed against each other during the operation of the device, and at the same time may be very readily and quickly removed and replaced when desired. The operation of the cutter is positive and accurate, and provision is made for stopping the cutter when desired without allowing it to stop at any time with an arm of cutter 31 opposite notch in knife-28, because, whenever pawl 23 is engaged with ratchetwheel 21, it remains in engagement therewith until its stroke is completedfwhereby the respective cutting arm of cutter 31 is moved below notch 65.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in 'the construction and operation of the described device within the terms of the appended claims which define the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary cutter, a movable cutter adapted to cooperate with the stationary cutter, a shaft carrying the movable cutter, means for rotating the shaft, and means normally pressing the shaft and movable cutter towards the stationary cutter.

2. In apparatus of the character dcscribed, a bearing, a stationary cutter attached to one side of the bearing, a shaft ex tending through the cutter into the bearing, a movable cutter mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, means to rotate the shaft, and means normally pressing the shaft and movable cutter towards the bearing.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a bearing, pins projecting from one side of the bearing, a stationary cutter rcmovably mounted upon the pins, a shaft extending through the cutter and into the hearing, a cutter mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith adjacent the stationary cutter, and means normally pressing the shaft and cutter mounted thereon towards the bearing.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a bearing, pins projecting from one side of the bearing, a cutter rcuiorahly mounted upon the pins, a shaft extending through the cutter and into the bearing, a flange on the shaft adjacent the bearing, pins extending from the flange towards the bearing, a cutter mounted upon the last said pins and slidable axially of the shaft, and means normally pressing the shaft towards the bearing.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary cutter, a bearing, a

intense ing the shaft and cutter carried thereby wards the stationary cutter.

6. In apparatus of the character described,

a stationary cutter, a star wheel cutter having a plurality of arms each adapted to colit operate with the-stationary cutter, a shaft,

means connecting the star wheel cutter to the shaft for rotation therewith, a ratchet wheel splined on theshaft, means for inter-.

the cutter, a trip normally in the path of an mittcntly moving the ratchet wheel and a spring normally'tending to press the shaft and star wheel cutter towards the stationary cutter. i

7. In apparatus of the character described, a bearing, a'shaft slidably mounted in said bearing, projections from one side of the bearing substantially parallel with the shaft, a stationary cutter mounted on the projections, a flange on the shaft adjacent thecutter, projections on the flange extending towards the cutter, a rotary cutter mounted upon. the last said projections, a second-bearing, and means connected with the second bearing, for pressing the shaft axially in a direct-ion to hold the cutters against each other.

8. In apparatus of the character described, two spaced bearings, a stationary cutter removably attached to the inner side of one of said bearings, a shaft slidable through said bearings, a drive wheel splined on the shaft 1 and secured against axial movement on the inner side of the other bearing, a rotary cutter removahly attached to the shaft in position to cooperate with the stationary cutter, a spring on the outside of the second said hearing, and adjustable means to hold the spring compressed against the end'of the shaft. r

9; In apparatus of the character described, a cutter, means to feed past the cutter spaced articles connected by a tape,driving means normally intermlttently engaged at regularly recurring intervals for driving the cutter, a trip normally in the path of an article approaching the cutter, and means actuated by the trip, when moved from the path of the article, to prevent the re-engagement of the driving means until the next period of normal engagement of the driving means after the trip returns to its normal position.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary cutter having a notch therein, a rotary cutter having arms thereon "movable successively past said notch, intermittently engaged actuating means adapted to rotatethe cutter at each engagement a sufiicient distance to move one of its arms past said notch, means to feed past the cut ter a series of spaced articles connected by a 'tape with the tapepassing through said notch, a trip in the path of the articles, and means connecting the trip to the cutter actuating means and adapted to allow the com= pletion of a cut started before the trip is actuated and to prevent re-engagement of the actuating means while the trip 'is in contact with the article.

1 1. In apparatus of the character described, a cutter, means to feed past the cutter spaced articles connected by a tape, drivmg means normally intermittently engaged at regularlyrecurring intervals for driving article approaching the cutter, and means actuated by the trip, when moved from the pathof the article,to prevent the re-engagement of the driving means until the next pement of the trip out of the path of the artiole by the article, and means to utilize the energy thus stored in the spring to prevent re-engagement of the driving means.

12. In apparatus of the character described, 21 mitten means to feed past the cutter spaced bags connected by a continuous closure-forming member, intermlttently engaged actuating means for the cutter, a trip normally extending through a space be tween bags and having a cam surface in the path of an oncoming bag and adapted to move the trip a distance, greater than the thickness of the bag walls, and yielding means connected to the trip and operative when the trip is moved by a bagfor maintaining the actuating means disengaged after it has been disengaged in its normal intermittent operation, the yielding means being adapted to yield suiiiciently to allow the trip to move from in front of a bag without disengaging said actuating means while actuating force is being applied to the cutter.

13. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary cutte'r'having a notch therein, a rotary star wheel cutter, a shaft upon which the star wheel cutter is mounted, a ratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, a pawl mounted for oscillation in cooperative relation with the ratchet wheel, means for oscillating the pawl a distance suilicient to move one armof the star wheelpastwthe notch, means to feed a series of spaced articles connected by a tape past the cutter with the tape passing through the notch, a trip adjacent the cutter in the path of the articles, and yielding means connecting the trip and the pawl, the parts beingso proportioned that said yielding means will not operate to pull the pawl out of contact with the ratchet while the cutter is being actuated, but will prevent the reengagement of the pawl with the ratchet while the trip is in contact with an article.

14. In apparatus of the character described, a bearing, pins projecting from the one side of the bearing, a stationary cutter mounted on the pins and having a notch therein, a shaft having one end mounted in the bearing,a flange on the shaft having pins projecting towards the cutter, a star Wheel cutter mounted on the last said pins, 11 second bearing forthe other end of the shaft, a ratchet wheel splincd on the shaft and fixed axially with respect to the second said bearing, a spring, and means adjustably connected with the second said bearing for compressing the spring against the end of the shaft, a pawl oscillatable about the shaft spring being stronger than the spring tending to cause the pawl to engage the ratchet but not strong enough to disengage the pawl during its working stroke.

. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

CARL G. KBONMILLER. 

